Kohli-ashwin stand

India now needed some solid defence if they were to save the Test. Kohli took advantage of a soft ball, rotating strike and finding the fence occasionally, until he ran out of partners. Ashwin braved blows from Jofra Archer to his glove, right shoulder and helmet as he dug in for 105 balls, batting for 78 minutes.

The previous day, Ashwin’s spin had helped dismiss England for 178 in the second innings, but the visitors already had a 241-run first innings lead. England could thus bowl an attacking line and post aggressive fields on a pitch with variable bounce.

Leach, who was belted for five sixes by Pant, broke the Kohliashwin stand, the latter nicking to ‘keeper Jos Buttler an attempted cut but beaten by the bounce. It was awkward bounce again that would get Kohli, a

Stokes delivery sneaking under the bat to hit off-stump. India’s resistance ended soon after for 192 as England completed a 227run victory. It is England’s sixth away-test win in a row, and the first in India since 2012. the difference was we also got 400-plus. That’s why they could not get a result on Day 5 because we could bat out for a draw. Things are not as complicated as they might seem to be. We understand if we add 80 runs to that score in the first innings and take two-and-half-hours, it’s a different result altogether.”

Kohli said the bowlers too didn’t perform as a unit. Leftarm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem conceded close to four runs per over in both innings, and Sundar too was not far from that.

“Our fast bowlers and Ashwin were consistent. If Shahbaz and Washington would have been economical, the pressure would have been more. The situation could have been different. The opposition could have 100 less runs on the board.”